Learnings

Outcomes

TRL level of the geopolymer injection technology has gone from TRL 4 to a TRL 6 as the technology has now been successfully demonstrated in a relevant environment to the gas transmission industry.   
In order to reach the ‘operational’ requirement of TRL 7 and beyond, and facilitate business as usual adoption, it is recommended that further assurances of the technology’s performance in different scenarios is taken and on varying levels of complexity projects representative of gas transmission and distribution assets. 
Recommendations for additional activities to be considered to supplement the findings of this innovation project are as follows:  
1. To understand more about long term effects of geopolymer further monitoring can be carried out of the trial area. Monitoring points currently remain in situ on site at Kings Lynn Compressor Station. These provide the opportunity to gain further data over a longer time period if required.   
2. Excavation around the pipe and monitoring points could reveal spread of geopolymer and gain a deeper understanding how the geopolymer has spread as it has expanded.    
3. Further trials could be completed on differing pipework arrangements to prove that the findings of this trial are applicable to wide range of scenarios / geometries. This could include proving the technique on pressurised pipework.   
4. Further refinement of the monitoring point design could be carried out to improve the ease of installation of monitoring and allow effective measurement of lateral movement for pipework arrangements where this a key requirement.   
Use of geopolymer technology for relevelling slabs and foundations have not been investigated as part of this innovation project as the technology is well understood in this context. It is suggested that the technology is mature enough to be utilised on slabs and foundation on National Grid sites without being subject to a separate trial.   

Lessons Learnt

A number of opportunities for on-site efficiencies were identified throughout the trial.  
For gas sites this includes ensuring equipment is suitable and pre-approved for the hazardous area classification it is operating in. Delivery of equipment to a yard for testing prior to delivery to site may be advantageous. 
Additionally, physical marking out of buried services on site (from trial holes / GPR survey information or similar) prior to any injections taking place was noted as a best practice to be carried forward to all other projects of this nature.